Double Dip Digest: James Bond (Volume 3)

It's a Bond bonanza with yet another deluxe DVD set.

Deciphering the differences between the new James Bond Ultimate Collection DVD sets and previous collections is an enviable but Sisyphean challenge: it seems like no matter how many movies and extras one gets through, there are always ten or fifteen more discs whose merits must be measured. Thankfully, Fox Home Entertainment provided IGN with some extensive information about the films, and then supplied the DVDs themselves for a thorough examination in the weeks prior to their release. Ultimately, however, a bigger problem emerged, even given this wealth of information and time: namely, that instead of poring over the transfers, listening intently to the audio presentation and diving into the extras, we'd really rather just be watching and enjoying the films in the same exuberant way that we know you inevitably will.Superficially, each of the four forthcoming James Bond Ultimate Collection DVD sets suffer from only one shortcoming: the arrangement and selection of the films. Volume 3, for example, includes From Russia With Love, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Live And Let Die, For Your Eyes Only, and Goldeneye. Precisely why or how these films were picked and put together remains a mystery, but suffice it to say it fails to satisfy acting purists who prefer a certain star, not to mention those who abandoned the series once it started competing with modern action movies. That said, one could argue that it combines the disparate iterations of the franchise; but this questionable decision is softened only by the fact that most Bond devotees will follow the character no matter who is playing him.That said, Volume 3 seems to have at least partially been arranged according to the series' new James Bonds: while From Russia With Love and For Your Eyes Only are obviously films that maintain the continuity of Sean Connery and Roger Moore's respective reigns over the character, Live And Let Die, On Her Majesty's Secret Service and Goldeneye all represent changes in the actor who played Bond, and for better or for worse took the franchise in new directions. At the same time, the other films seem to be exemplary of both their era and their Bond: For Your Eyes Only, for example, reflects the sort of glib cliché that Bond became as the Cold War wound down, and transformed the cool killer into a slick, wisecracking father figure (due in no small part to Moore's advancing age - he was 54 when the film was originally released).Given the sheer girth of the set, IGN decided to sample the films almost at random to ascertain how good the new transfers look. The entire set was produced by DTS (previously known as Lowry Digital), the company responsible for the 2004 Star Wars DVDs, and they did an incredible job restoring these movies to a luster they haven't seen in decades - and in some cases, at all. Unfortunately, comparison shots between the previous versions and the Ultimate Collection were unavailable at press time, but the older movies benefit the most while more recent installments are only mildly polished. Additionally, the audio for each movie was also fully remastered and restored, creating new DTS tracks that fully exploit modern home-theater systems. The stereoscopic depth of the action has been expanded significantly, featuring beautiful positioning in the satellite speakers and center channel while preserving the integrity of the original audio. So while qualitatively speaking, every Bond fan has a favorite, but the movies themselves are almost irrelevant in presentation this pristine and beautiful; even screening one's least favorite - or perhaps least forgivable - is a new and enjoyable experience via these discs. Beyond even the films' amazing audio presentation, Live And Let Die has this set's most impressive accoutrement: composer and Beatle producer George Martin's original four-track mix of Wings' theme song. Rather than creating an approximate 5.1 mix from either mono or two-channel stereo elements previously available, the folks responsible for cleaning up the audio uncovered Martin's version and cleaned and restored it. What is now audible is nothing short of remarkable - so much so, in fact, that those Bond soundtrack compilations now deserve their own remastering: the front channels feature Paul McCartney and Wings' rock-based melodies, complete with plenty of accents and flourishes I've never heard, while Martin's symphonic accompaniment registers in the rear. Whether or not you actually watch the movie itself, this is absolutely the must-watch feature of the entire set - if not the entire series.The James Bond Collection (Special Edition) series was originally released October 22, 2002 and features the following materials:image>

From Russia With Love

Audio commentary by director Terence Young and cast and crewInside From Russia With Love

Harry Saltzman: Showman

For Your Eyes Only

Audio Commentary Featuring John Glen and Actors

Audio Commentary Featuring Michael G Wilson and Crew

Animated Storyboard Sequences

Inside For Your Eyes Only

Sheena Easton 'For Your Eyes Only' Music Video

Photo gallery

On Her Majesty's Secret Service

Audio Commentary Featuring Director Peter Hunt and Members of the Cast and Crew

Inside On Her Majesty's Secret Service

Inside Q's Lab

Above It All - Original 1969 Featurette

Original TV ads & radio spots

Live and Let Die

Audio commentary by director Guy Hamilton and Tom Mankiewicz and cast and crew

Inside Live and Let Die

On Set With Roger Moore

GoldenEye

Audio Commentary Featuring Martin Campbell and Michael G. Wilson

The World of 007 - Original 1995 Television Special Hosted by Elizabeth Hurley